The 12-year-old girl, who delivered a baby at a hospital on Monday, was raped by her stepfather, who is lodged in jail.
Sources said the pregnancy was discovered in January by a schoolteacher after which the child protection department along with Mohali administration sent the child to a protection home. The child was then seven months pregnant.
A police complaint was lodged after which an FIR under POCSO Act was registered at a local police station and the stepfather arrested.
Sources in the protection home said, “We were handed over the child by the Mohali administration and at that time she was seven months pregnant. She was sexually abused before she was brought here. She was given full protection and medical help.” Sources said during investigations it was learnt the child was being abused from past many years as the mother of the child remarried the accused five years ago.
Sources in the administration said, “All necessary help as per the POCSO act have been rendered to the victim. She is being kept under special protection at the hospital also.”
A similar case had come the fore in Chandigarh in July 2017, when a 10-year-old girl was raped by her two maternal uncles and became pregnant. Later, she delivered a baby at a local hospital.
A court in Chandigarh had dismissed abortion application of the minor citing medical reasons in July 2018. Similarly, Supreme Court also dismissed the abortion plea, citing similar medical reasons. The minor rape survivor on August 17 gave birth to baby girl in Chandigarh. The Supreme Court had then passed directions to the central government to formulate permanent medical boards at each district to avoid time delay in abortions in underage rape pregnancies.
Within 66 days of the registration of the FIR, the case was decided, and the accused were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment till natural death.